Lint-preventing yarn and woven floor decoration material using the same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are a lint-preventing yarn, which can fundamentally prevent lint formation unlike existing yams, and a woven floor decoration material using same. The lint-preventing yam according to the present invention includes a core layer and a coating layer coated onto the surface of the core layer. The core layer is formed of a plurality of binder-treated fabrics or mono fabrics having a diameter of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm The woven floor decoration material manufactured using same can be free of lint formation when cut into the shape of a tile having a predetermined size or despite friction caused by prolonged use.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a woven decorative flooring material,and more particularly, to a woven decorative flooring material whichsuppresses lint generated on a fabric-containing decorative material.

BACKGROUND ART

Flooring materials using petroleum resins such as polyvinyl chloride(PVC) and the like are widely used in various building structures suchas houses, mansions, apartments, offices, shops, and the like.

Flooring materials are prepared through extrusion or calendering of aresin, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the like.

With increasing requests for production of higher-class interiormaterials and the like, products using natural-looking fabrics areincreasing.

Yams used for such fabrics include a large number of fiber strands. Whenthe fabrics are cut into a tile shape having a certain size or subjectedto repetitive friction caused by walking during use as a flooringmaterial, there is a problem of lint generation on a cut surface and asurface layer thereof.

Therefore, there is an increasing need for a woven decorative flooringmaterial minimizing lint generation.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The present invention has been conceived to solve such problems in therelated art, and it is an aspect of the present invention to provideyarns capable of fundamentally preventing lint generation when cut intoa tile shape having a certain size or when subjected to friction due tolong-term use thereof, and a woven decorative flooring material usingthe yams.

Technical Solution

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, lint-preventingyams include a core layer and a coating layer coated onto a surface ofthe core layer, wherein the core layer is composed of a plurality offibers subjected to binder treatment.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,lint-preventing yarns include a core layer and a coating layer coatedonto a surface of the core layer, wherein the core layer is composed ofa mono fiber having a diameter from 0.1 mm to 5 mm.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a wovendecorative flooring material includes: a lint-preventing fabric sheetincluding woven fabrics composed of lint-preventing yams; a coatinglayer formed on an upper side of the fabric sheet; and a backing layerformed on a lower side of the fabric sheet.

Advantageous Effects

The lint-preventing yarns according to the present inventionfundamentally prevent lint generation unlike existing yams.

In addition, the woven decorative flooring material formed of the yamsdoes not suffer from lint when cut into a tile shape having a certainsize or even when subjected to friction due to long-term use thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a structure of lint-preventing yamsaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a structure of lint-preventing yamsaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a structure of a woven decorativeflooring material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a structure of a woven decorativeflooring material according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

BEST MODE

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description of thefollowing embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.However, it should be understood that the present invention is notlimited to the following embodiments and may be embodied in differentways, and that the embodiments are provided for complete disclosure andthorough understanding of the invention by those skilled in the art. Thescope of the invention should be defined only by the accompanying claimsand equivalents thereof. Like components will be denoted by likereference numerals throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, lint-preventing yarns and a woven decorative flooringmaterial using the yarns according to the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Lint-Preventing Yarns

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a structure of lint-preventing yamsaccording to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, thelint-preventing yarns according to the present invention include a corelayer 10 and a coating layer 20 formed on a surface of the core layer10, wherein the core layer 10 is composed of a plurality of fibers 1subjected to binder treatment.

The lint-preventing yams according to the present invention are used forany fabric type decorative materials such as flooring materials, wallmaterials and the like, preferably for woven fabric decorative flooringmaterials.

Fiber yarns used in existing woven type decorative flooring materialshave a form in which a core layer composed of a large number of fibersis present and a surface of the core layer is coated with a polymerresin or the like. When a woven type decorative flooring material ismanufactured using the yarns and then cut into a tile shape, multiplefibers are exposed on a cut surface. As friction is applied to the cutsurface, lint is generated. Lint is not good in an aesthetic point ofview and the decorative flooring material having lint cannot be used asa decorative material.

The lint-preventing yarns according to the present invention include theplural fibers 1 subjected to binder treatment so as not to suffer fromlint generation on the cut surface unlike existing yarns having lint.

That is, referring to FIG. 1, the plural fibers 1 and a binder resin 2binding the plural fibers 1 form the core layer 10.

Here, binder treatment refers to treatment for preventing lintgeneration due to unbound fibers by binding the plural fibers 1.

Binder treatment may be performed by dipping the plural fibers into abinder resin or by spraying the binder resin onto the plural fibers,without being limited thereto.

The binder resin may be any resin capable of binding the plural fiberswithout limitation. Preferably, the binder resin is a resin including atleast one of acrylic, methacrylic, polyisoprene, vinyl, epoxy, urethane,and cellulose resins. Examples of the acrylic resin include butylacrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and the like. Examples of the methacrylicresin include propylene glycol dimethacrylate, tetrahydrofurfurylmethacrylate, and the like. Examples of the vinyl resin include vinylacetate, N-vinylpyrrolidone, and the like. Examples of the epoxy resininclude cycloaliphatic epoxides, and the like. Examples of the urethaneresin include urethane acrylate, and the like. Examples of the celluloseresin include cellulose nitrate, and the like.

According to the present invention, the plural fibers 1 may includenatural fibers or synthetic fibers. Here, the natural fibers may includeat least one of cotton, silk, ramie, and jute. In addition, thesynthetic fibers may include at least one of polyvinyl chloride (PVC),polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyesters, PET fibers, glassfibers, and nylon.

Preferably, the plural fibers include at least one of PET fibers, glassfibers and nylon, thereby suppressing lint generation after bindertreatment.

According to the present invention, the lint-preventing yams include thecoating layer 20 formed to wrap the surface of the core layer 10. Thecoating layer 20 serves to protect the surface of the yams. The coatinglayer 20 may be formed of a material including at least one of polyvinylchloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP),polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in terms ofdurability for protecting the surface of the yams.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of lint-preventing yams according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, thelint-preventing yams according to another embodiment of the presentinvention include a core layer 11 and a coating layer 20 coated onto asurface of the core layer 11, wherein the core layer 11 is composed of amono fiber having a diameter from 0.1 mm to 5 mm

As described above, the woven type decorative flooring material usingthe existing yams suffers from lint, and thus has a problem of notserving as a decorative material any more. On the other hand, thelint-preventing yams according to the present invention have anadvantage of not suffering from lint due to use of the mono fiber as thecore layer.

The mono fiber has a diameter from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. If the diameter ofthe mono fiber is less than 0.1 mm, there is a problem in that thelint-preventing yams can be easily worn and exhibit insufficientdurability, and if the diameter of the mono fiber is greater than 5 mm,production costs of the lint-preventing yams can be increased withoutsufficient improvement in durability thereof.

The mono fiber may include natural fibers or synthetic fibers. Here, thenatural fiber may include at least one of cotton, silk, ramie, and jute.In addition, the synthetic fiber may include at least one of polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyesters, PETfibers, glass fibers, and nylon.

Preferably, the mono fiber includes at least one of PET fibers, glassfibers and nylon, thereby suppressing lint generation after bindertreatment.

In addition, the mono fiber may be a hollow fiber. Here, the hollowfiber refers to a fiber which has a hollow section corresponding to ashape having an empty space or pores therein. The hollow fiber may beprepared from polyester or polyamide fibers having a hollow structuretherein, without being limited thereto.

That is, according to the present invention, the core layer is a hollowfiber having an empty space therein, thereby suppressing lint generationas much as possible, as compared with the existing yarns.

Further, the hollow fiber may have a hollowness of 30% or more in termsof suppression of lint generation. Preferably, the hollow fiber has ahollowness of 30% to 40%. If the hollowness is less than 30%, there is aproblem of insignificant suppression of lint generation, and if thehollowness is greater than 40%, production costs are overly increased ascompared with suppression of lint generation.

The lint-preventing yams according to another embodiment of the presentinvention have the coating layer 20 on the surface of the core layer 11,and the coating layer 20 may be formed of a material including at leastone of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE),polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU) in terms of durability for protecting the surface of the yams.

Hereinafter, a woven decorative flooring material using thelint-preventing yarns described above will be described in detail.

Woven Decorative Flooring Material Using Lint-Preventing Yarns

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a structure of a woven decorativeflooring material according to one embodiment of the invention.Referring to FIG. 3, the woven decorative flooring material according tothis embodiment includes a lint-preventing fabric sheet 200 includingwoven fabrics composed of the yams according to claim 1 or 2, a coatinglayer 100 formed on an upper side of the fabric sheet 200, and a backinglayer 300 formed on a lower side of the fabric sheet 200.

In addition, the woven decorative flooring material according to thepresent invention may further include a dimension stabilizing layer 400formed between the fabric sheet 200 and the backing layer 300.

As used herein, terms such as “upper side” and “lower side” are definedwith reference to the accompanying drawings for convenience, and are notto be construed in any way as limiting the present invention.

First, according to the present invention, the fabric sheet 200 of thewoven decorative flooring material includes the woven fabrics composedof the yams described above. Here, the fabrics may be woven using ageneral weaving machine, or a Jacquard weaving machine. The fabrics maybe selectively woven in a plain weave, twill weave, or the like, asneeded.

In addition, for a variety of appearances of the fabrics, the fabricsmay be woven from yarns having at least two different colors, andpatterns may be formed on a surface thereof through dyeing or printing,as needed.

Next, the coating layer 100 is formed on the upper side of the fabricsheet. The coating layer is formed on the fabric sheet 200 for thepurpose of improvement of surface properties of the flooring materialincluding scratch resistance, abrasion resistance and the like,facilitation of cleaning through improvement of anti-contamination, andthe like. The coating layer may be formed of a material including atleast one of polyurethane, urethane, and acrylic resins.

Next, the backing layer 300 is formed on the lower side of the fabricsheet 200. According to the present invention, the backing layer 300 isthe most fundamental layer of the decorative flooring material. Inaddition, the backing layer 300 serves to support the fabric sheet 200and to absorb impact from upper and lower sides thereof, and providescapabilities such as thermal insulation, mounting convenience,cushioning, sound absorption, soundproofing, and the like. The backinglayer 300 may be formed as a foamed or non-foamed layer in a singlelayer or in two or more layers.

The backing layer 300 may be prepared from at least one of PVC, TPU, andLDPE resins.

In addition, the backing layer 300 may include a polylactic acid (PLA)resin, and may further include a non-phthalate plasticizer and anacrylic copolymer as a melt strength reinforcing agent in addition tothe PLA resin. More specifically, the backing layer may further includeat least one of: 100 parts by weight of a PLA resin; 5 parts by weightto 60 parts by weight of a non-phthalate plasticizer; 0.1 parts byweight to 20 parts by weight of an acrylic copolymer as a melt strengthreinforcing agent; 0.01 parts by weight to 10 parts by weight of alubricant; 10 parts by weight or less of an anti-hydrolysis agent; 1000parts by weight or less of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃); and 50 parts byweight or less of titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

The backing layer 300 may have a thickness from 0.2 mm to 5.0 mm If thethickness of the backing layer is less than 0.2 mm, there is a problemof difficult molding, and if the thickness of the backing layer isgreater than 5.0 mm, there is a problem of rise in production costs.

Further, the woven decorative flooring material according to the presentinvention may further include the dimension stabilizing layer 400 formedbetween the fabric sheet 200 and the backing layer 300. The dimensionstabilizing layer 400 serves to supplement dimensional stability of thedecorative flooring material, and may be formed by impregnating glassfibers (G/Fs) into at least one of acrylic, melamine, and PLA resinsexhibiting excellent moldability.

The flooring material using a PLA resin can suffer from phenomena suchas dimensional change due to temperature change caused by heating andthe like, gap generation between connected flooring materials due toshrinkage caused by dimensional change, and the like. The dimensionstabilizing layer 400 secures dimensional stability and thus preventsthe above phenomena.

Here, the glass fibers may have a mass per unit area from 30 g/m² to 150g/m². If the mass per unit area of the glass fibers is less than 30g/m², the glass fibers can provide insufficient reinforcement ofdimensional stability, and if the mass per unit area of the glass fibersis greater than 150 g/m², there can be a problem of deterioration inadhesion between the fabric sheet 200 and the dimension stabilizinglayer 400 or between the dimension stabilizing layer 400 and the backinglayer 300.

The dimension stabilizing layer 400 may further include a non-phthalateplasticizer such ATBC and the like, a viscosity decreasing agent,calcium carbonate, which is an inorganic filler for cost reduction,titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a white pigment, and the like in addition tothe resins such as acrylic resins and the like, depending upon purposesand shapes. These may be used alone or in combination thereof.

The dimension stabilizing layer 400 may have a thickness from 0.1 mm to1.0 mm If the thickness of the dimension stabilizing layer 400 is lessthan 0.1 mm, the dimension stabilizing layer can provide insufficientdimensional stability, and if the thickness of the dimension stabilizinglayer 400 is greater than 1.0 mm, the dimension stabilizing layer has athicker thickness without further dimensional stability and thus causesrise in overall production costs of the flooring material.

Next, a process of manufacturing the decorative flooring materialaccording to the present invention, which includes the components asdescribed above, will be described hereinafter.

First, lint-preventing yarns according to the present invention areprepared, followed by forming a fabric sheet using woven fabricscomposed of the yarns.

When the lint-preventing yarns according to the present invention areprepared using a plurality of fibers, the yams are prepared by dippingthe plural fibers into a binder resin to perform binder treatment,followed by formation of a coating layer. Alternatively, when thelint-preventing yams according to the present invention are preparedusing a mono fiber, the yarns are prepared by forming a coating layer onthe mono fiber having a diameter from 0.1 mm to 5 mm.

The lint-preventing yarns prepared through the above process are woveninto fabrics, followed by manufacturing the fabrics into a fabric sheet.

Next, a backing layer is prepared through calendering, and then stackedon a lower side of the fabric sheet. The backing layer may be preparedfrom PLA resins and the like.

Next, to impart properties such as anti-contamination, scratchresistance, abrasion resistance and the like to the fabric sheet, acoating layer is formed on an uppermost side of the fabric sheet,thereby preparing a decorative flooring material. The coating layer maybe composed of acrylic resins and the like, and may be formed by UVcuring.

As described above, the decorative flooring material according to thepresent invention may further include a dimension stabilizing layerbetween the fabric sheet and the backing layer. Therefore, the dimensionstabilizing layer may be prepared before the backing layer and thefabric sheet are stacked, thereby producing a stacked body including thefabric sheet, the dimension stabilizing layer and the backing layer inorder from top to bottom.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail withreference to some examples. It should be understood that these examplesare not to be construed in any way as limiting the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1

Poly fiber yams made of a plurality of PET fibers were dipped into anacrylic resin for binder treatment. As such, the poly fiber yarns, inwhich the plural fibers were bound, were dipped into a PVC resin toperform coating, thereby preparing lint-preventing yams. Next, a fabricsheet was produced by weaving the yarns.

Next, a backing layer was prepared from a PLA resin including anon-phthalate plasticizer and an acrylic copolymer as a melt strengthreinforcing agent. Next, the backing layer and the fabric sheet werestacked using an oven and a roll for lamination.

Next, a UV curable acrylate resin was coated onto an upper side of thefabric sheet, followed by curing, thereby forming a coating layer.

Through the above process, a woven decorative flooring material wasmanufactured.

EXAMPLE 2

A decorative flooring material was manufactured in the same manner as inExample 1 except that yams prepared from a mono fiber having a diameterfrom 0.1 mm to 5 mm were used instead of the lint-preventing yams ofExample 1.

EXAMPLE 3

A decorative flooring material was manufactured in the same manner as inExample 2 except that the yams were prepared using a hollow fiber madeof a polyester fiber instead of the mono fiber of Example 2.

EXAMPLE 4

A decorative flooring material was manufactured in the same manner as inExample 1 except that a dimension stabilizing layer was further includedbetween the fabric sheet and the backing layer.

The dimension stabilizing layer was prepared by impregnating glassfibers (G/Fs) into an acrylic resin and a PLA resin.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

A decorative flooring material was manufactured in the same manner as inExample 1 except that yarns not subjected to binder treatment were usedinstead of the yams of Example 1.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2

A decorative flooring material was manufactured in the same manner as inExample 1 except that yarns not subjected to binder treatment were usedinstead of the yams of Example 1.

[Evaluation of Lint Generation]

Each of the woven decorative flooring materials prepared in Examples andComparative Examples was cut to a certain size. Next, friction wasapplied to the cut surface at constant force.

It could be observed that the decorative flooring materials ofComparative Examples suffered from severe lint due to unbinding of fiberyarns on the cut surface. Conversely, it could be confirmed that thedecorative flooring materials of Examples suffered from almost no lint.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to someembodiments, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments areprovided for illustrative purposes only, and that various modifications,changes, alterations, and equivalent embodiments can be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited onlyby the accompanying claims and equivalents thereof.

1. Lint-preventing yarns comprising: a core layer; and a coating layer formed on a surface of the core layer, Wherein the coating layer is composed of a plurality of fibers subjected to binder treatment, or is composed of a mono fiber having a diameter from 0.1 mm to 5 mm.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The lint-preventing yarns according to claim 1, wherein the mono fiber is a hollow fiber.
 4. The lint-preventing yarns according to claim 1, wherein the plural fibers are dipped into a binder resin comprising at least one of acrylic, methacrylic, polyisoprene, vinyl, epoxy, urethane, and cellulose resins to perform binder treatment.
 5. The lint-preventing yarns according to claim 1, wherein the fiber is composed of at least one of PET fibers, glass fibers, and nylon.
 6. The lint-preventing yarns according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer formed on the surface of the core layer is formed of a material comprising at least one of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
 7. A woven decorative flooring material comprising: a lint-preventing fabric sheet comprising woven fabrics composed of the lint-preventing yarns according to claim 1; a coating layer formed on an upper side of the fabric sheet; and a backing layer formed on a lower side of the fabric sheet.
 8. (canceled)
 9. The decorative flooring material according to claim 6, further comprising: a dimension stabilizing layer formed between the fabric sheet and the backing layer.
 10. The decorative flooring material according to claim 6, wherein the coating layer formed on the upper side of the fabric sheet comprises at least one of urethane and acrylic resins.
 11. The decorative flooring material according to claim 9, wherein the dimension stabilizing layer is formed by impregnating glass fibers (G/Fs) into at least one of acrylic, melamine, and PLA resins. 